Click Here to read the previous chapters and anything pertaining to my New Adult Fantasy novel “Forget Me Not, Father.”
Chapter 5
It was near evening the following day. The sun was setting in the west, casting shades of orange, yellow, and red to their right as Laura and Mel continued on their journey. The two of them had turned off the highway onto a smaller stone-paved road that took them directly south to where the town of Burgos lay.
There hadn’t been any further conversation since their initial conversation. Mel had gone back to reading his book while Laura continued to stay alert for any danger. They had started to see other travellers along the road, though such meetings resulted in a mere shake of the head as everyone was in a hurry because of the goblins. Even though patrols had determined the roads were safe from the goblin raiding party, which had been spotted 40 miles west of the Inn of the Rising Sun, it still didn’t make the travellers feel any easier. But that was the information Laura had received from a small patrol out of Toledo as it was on a patrol route. Their route would end at the crossway where the Southwestern highway connected with the East-West Highway that ran along the northern coast.
The patrol was made of a dozen armored men on horseback who were similarly geared in leather armor and a bronze chestpiece. Unlike Laura, they wore a red, yellow, and red-striped tabard over their armor with a white horse reared up on its hind legs. It signified that they were Murcian Cavalry with all of the riders flying a pennant on the tip of their spears with the same colored stripes and white horse – a smaller version of the Murcian flag.
When they had spotted the patrol, Laura had quickly put on her helmet to hide her face since she didn’t want to be delayed by having to produce her orders and prove that she was an officer in the King’s army. Without the red, yellow, and red-striped tabard that she would normally wear over her armor while on duty, she was hoping to pass as a mercenary than a regular soldier with her cloak wrapped around her. So patrol’s commander had simply answered her question before signalling to his men to continue on their patrol.
Though, during the brief exchange of words, many of them had smiled at the sight of her sitting on Stomper. She had overheard one rider whisper to another next to him that she looked like a diminutive dwarf trying to sit on a regular horse; though she obviously lacked a dwarf’s characteristically stocky frame. It was a shame that the dwarven race had been wiped out centuries ago when the Goblin War had begun. The Dwarven kingdom had had the most experience fighting the goblins since they were lifelong enemies.
After hearing that there was no threat from the goblins, Mel had grumbled to himself about losing sleep needlessly, though his grumbling was loud enough that Laura was able to listen to his complaints. But it stopped quickly as he became engrossed in his book with an occasional loud yawn which she was sure was an over exaggeration on his part.
But they had finally spotted the town of Burgos from a distance over the rolling, grassy plains. The town was large and filled with houses and businesses encircled by a small wall that stood 15 feet in height. It not only encircled the entire town, but the original castle itself where the walls were 30 feet high that surrounded the keep.
The road they travelled on led straight to the outer gates of the town on the northern side. It was the only gate, though the roads ran along the entire wall so travellers could quickly traverse the distance to the entrance.
As they had neared their destination, Mel had put away his book and started to tell her a little bit about the town. It was one of the oldest cities in the kingdom, over two thousand years old. It was known for its vast farms which provided a large portion of the food, cattle, and horses in the kingdom because of the vast plains around it which were fed by natural streams and rivers that led out into the Yellow Sea. One such river fed into the moat that surrounded the city and provided plenty of water for the hundreds of fountains that were placed throughout the entire area before continuing its path to the sea. In the distance, she could see large farms and ranches littering the hills as well as droves of cattle, sheep, and horses ranging far and wide. Most of them heading back towards the farms.
Crossing the drawbridge, along with a crowd of farmers, merchants, and nobility, they reached the northern gate that was ensconced within the wall. The wooden gates were wide open, with a small squad of soldiers occupying their posts at the entrance while a small number of archers watched from the top of the towers on either side of the gatehouse.
It was the first time Laura had been to Burgos, but she could see that it would be difficult for an army to march up to the city and take it by surprise. Despite some scattered hills, the keep rose high above the naturally ground level, allowing the sentries to see miles in every direction since there was nothing but plains every which way. An invading army would be spotted long before they were a threat to the town.
As they rode through the gates, some of the guards waved and yelled in greeting to Mel who waved back. “My father was the best blacksmith in the town and my mother was a goldsmith.” he said in response to Laura’s questioning glance. “Together they made some of the best and most decorative armor here.”
“So your parents were smiths but you became a wizard,” Laura said as she nudged Stomper closer to Mel and Barb so that she could hear his answer over the noise of the crowd. Emerging from the gates, they had entered into a large market square which had five large fountains. Four of the fountains were in each corner of the square with the statue of a horse in different poses. But the fifth fountain was in the middle of the square with a large hose reared up on its hind legs with horses all around it carved as if they were all charging outwards. Meanwhile, the smell of bread, the cries of the merchants selling their wares, and the sound of children playing added to the cacophony of a market that was still busy even though it was late in the day.
“My birth parents were killed in a goblin raid when I was young,” Mel said as he led her down a road heading towards Burgos Castle. “My parents found me among the ruins as they were coming back from a trip to procure precious metals for their craft. They simply adopted me because they had no children of their own and were getting on in years. I like to think that I brought them happiness as they got older. But rather than becoming a blacksmith, I was drawn to magic.”
“Does your love of magic come from your love of books, or was it the other way around?”
“My love of books certainly made me curious about magic, but it wasn’t until I found out that I had magic, that I started to pursue being a wizard.”
“So how did you find out that you have magic,” Laura asked as they continued to travel towards the castle, rows of houses now lining the street after having left the marketplace far behind. Along the sidewalks of the streets were thin metal poles that were fifteen feet high with a white orb on the top of each one. They were street lamps that were crafted by magic and, through some unknown process to Laura, would light the streets when it turned dark.
“It was when I was around 10 years old. My best friend and I had gone to the lake a few miles away to enjoy ourselves. And to skip out on my lessons. But I had found out some news that had made me angry and jealous of my friend. I directed my anger at him, while he was walking along the edge of the lake, and imagined myself pushing him. Suddenly a strong gust of wind came out of nowhere and threw him ten feet into the air and about 20 feet out into the water.”
“Was he hurt,” Laura said as they moved their horses around an elderly couple, the sound of hammers hitting metal and the anvil could be heard close by.
“Thankfully no,” Mel said. “While I knew that the gust of wind had come from me, he thought it had been some freak of nature and considered it quite the adventure. He never did think it had come from me.”
“Whatever happened to your friend,” Laura said as she removed her helm, placing it on the saddle’s pommel.
“I started travelling to learn more about magic and he went his own way. That friendship died as we got older.” At that point, Mel had reined Barb to a stop before a large, three-story mansion, “Here we are.”
There was an open gate that led into a courtyard where, off to the left, was a stable and on the right an area where a couple of blacksmiths were working hard. The house was one of a few in the area made of stone and designed in a plateresque style although, on the third floor, the majority of it was made of glass which was indicative of a large sunroom or conservatory. Its design featured decorative facades that included shields with floral designs interwoven throughout. Rather than gargoyles, small statues of horses lined the top of the roof looking down on the street.
In the courtyard, a two-tiered fountain greeted visitors. On top of the circular basin a man and woman stood back-to-back. The man was wielding a hammer which was held up in the air ready to come crashing down, while the woman wielded a bench hammer in one hand and a beveled engraving tool in the other while holding both out in front of her ready to start engraving. The water from the top basin flowed down to the second tier where small horse statues lined the base of the fountain, water spewing from their mouths and feeding a small pond with fist in it.
“Your parents designed the house,”Laura asked, thinking it was pretty obvious that they must have had a hand in designing the magnificent place.
Before Mel could answer, a blonde-haired woman came running towards the wizard as he dismounted from Barb. At the same time, two young red-haired boys came out from the stables and waited to take the horses.
“Mel,” said the young woman, squealing in delight as she ran up to him and hugged him from behind. She wore a yellow dress that hugged generous curves and showed an ample bosom to great effect. The pale skin, blonde hair, and large blue eyes framed in a round face indicated that she was of Norseicelandish descent. The Norseicelanders lived on a large island to the north of the continent and boasted the strongest naval power on the seas.
She looked to be in her late teens, a girl who had recently blossomed into womanhood, and she was eyeing Mel with an intense scrutiny while she continued to talk at a fast speed, “I haven’t seen you in months! Have you been eating well? Have you seen any important people or witnessed any interesting events? My friend Danielle recently got engaged to Mario and you won’t believe how it all happened. But look at you! You’re so soft. What happened to your muscles?”
She started to stroke his arm with a delicate hand as he replied, “I have been travelling a lot and I haven’t swung a hammer in a while. Don’t really have any need to swing one while I am out gathering new books for my library.”
Laura hated to interrupt, but time was not on her side. Clearing her throat to try and move things along, she dismounted off of Stomper and stood next to him, waiting for Mel to finish his business.
“Who is this Mel,” the young woman asked, her smile slightly souring at the interruption, one delicate eyebrow raised. After a few seconds of scrutiny her eyes widened in shock,” You’re a woman! Why are you dressed like that?”
No sooner had the young woman made this realization before Laura started to sense hostility being directed at her from this child who’s gaze had returned back to the wizard.
“Oh,” Mel said. “Where are my manners? Asta Atriddotter, this is Lieutenant Laura Ford. Lieutenant Ford, this is Asta.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” Laura said, nodding in the girl’s direction.
“Hello,” Asta said before turning back to the wizard who was rummaging around through his backpack. “Mel, why don’t you come over for dinner tonight?”
“I’m sorry Asta, but I can’t,” he said quickly while pulling a book out from his pack. “But I do have this for you. It’s a book of poetry I picked up on my way back here.”
With a squeal of delight, she took the book and gave him a peck on the cheek, “Thank you!” but then she pouted, “What is so important that you won’t come have dinner with me?”
“I have to help Laura whose friend was injured and time is of the essence.” Mel said distractedly as he was busy removing his things from Barb.
Slowly Asta’s head turned back towards Laura and a cold look was on the girl’s face. “Is that so? Is she really in the army? I’ve never heard of any women serving in the army. Thieves and mercenaries, yes. Oh, and the Duchess’s personal retinue! But not in the army. Could she be lying to you?”
“What,” Mel said, his mouth slightly ajar.
“Excuse me,” said Laura, her eyes narrowed.
“That is very rude Asta,” Mel said as he quickly recovered from the shock of her accusation. “The Lieutenant is an officer in the King’s army and you will show her the respect she deserves.”
With a curtsy that attested to training in courtly manners, Asta said, “My apologies Lieutenant.” She then went over to Mel, gave him another peck on the cheek while staring at Laura, and continued, “Don’t stay away for so long this time. And when you get back, we’ll have dinner.”
Asta sashayed as she walked down the street back to her home, but Mel had already turned to the two teenage boys, who had been sniggering at the girl’s deliberate walk and mimicking her in comical fashion, and said, “Diego! Jose! How have you been?”
“Fine cousin Mel,” they said in unison while continuing to laugh at the retreating figure of Asta.
“Take these horses to the stalls and take good care of them.”
“Yes sir,” they said in unison once more, grabbing the reins and leading the horses away.
“Nephew,” a loud, bass voice boomed in a jovial manner, coming from where the sound of hammers were banging away. A large bear of a many closed the door leading into the smithy, strode up to Mel and grabbed him in a big, back-breaking hug. Laura winced as she thought she had heard some bones pop. The man was just shy of six feet with a barrel for a chest wearing a blacksmith’s apron that had a couple of loops that held a hammer and a small pair of tongs, no shirt, and brown pants. He had black hair, black eyes, and a large black beard that framed his tanned face. He was muscular, most likely from working long hours at the forge, and he simply engulfed the wizard before setting him down.
“Haven’t seen you in months,” he continued, slapping Mel on the back and staggering the young man with the affectionate blow. Laura couldn’t help but wince again as the blow sounded and looked as if it hurt.
“You know me,” Mel said, regaining his balance. “Been busy making deals and gathering more books.”
“You and your books,” the blacksmith said with another slap to the back. His voice was just naturally loud, even when he was talking normally. “You should come back to the forge. Your arms look so soft and flabby now.”
The wizard just sighed and was about to make the introductions when the man turned to Laura with a smile on his face, the volume of his voice lowering just slightly.
“And who might you be senorita?”
“Lieutenant Laura Fords,” she said, holding out a hand just in case this man might be in the habit of hugging everyone who he met.
“Lieutenant,” he exclaimed, taking her hand with surprising gentleness while his eyes widened slightly in surprise. “Pleasure to meet you. My name is Ignazio Fernandez. I am this bookworm’s uncle on his mother’s side.
“Pleasure to meet you.”
Luckily, before the conversation could go any further the wizard interjected, “Sorry uncle, but we are in a hurry. We’ve been travelling for almost two days and would like to freshen up.”
“I understand,” Ignazio replied. “Just wanted to welcome you home. It’s great that you are back and I will see you both at dinner in a couple of hours.”
Before either one of them could even think about refusing the offer, the blacksmith went back to the smithy shouting out threats to the unseen workers as he opened the door, walked in, and then closed it behind him. Mel quickly walked up to the door, opened by a manservant who wore a rich, green velvet jacket with two rows of brass buttons on the front, black pants, and black shoes, gesturing that she should go in first.
The door led into a small foyer before opening into a room that seemed to serve multiple purposes as a dining and lounge room as well as a reception hall. On one side, there was a long dining table made of empress tree wood that had been stained a deep, dark brown with matching chairs that had red upholstery that could seat a couple dozen people. On the right side of the room were an assortment of couches, sofas, and armchairs laid out around a large fireplace that looked as if it could cook a whole goat with ease. The fireplace was completely open and on top of a circular formation of bricks, a large metal covering over it to catch the smoke and direct it up the chimney. In the center of the large room was a raised stage with small chairs surrounding it. Towards the back was a staircase leading up to the second floor with a balcony running around the entire perimeter so that those on the second floor could look down in the room.
“Is the room next to mine unoccupied, Sebastian,” Mel asked the manservant.
“It is sir,” Sebastian said. “And welcome home.”
“Thank you. My guest,” he said, indicating Laura, “Lieutenant Fords will be staying in the room next to mine. I’ll show her the way.”
“Very good sir,” the manservant said, giving a small bow to the two of them before walking away.
“Mel quickly led her up the stairs to the second floor which had a lot of doors to various bedrooms in the house. They walked down the hallway to the opposite end of the house that was furthest away from the reception area. Opening the second to last door, he gestured for her to enter, “This will be your room while I take some time to do the research in order to figure out how to wake your father up.”
The room was spacious with a queen-sized bed, a blue canopy over it and draped over the four large wooden posts with satin blue covers on top of the bed. There was a desk in the corner, a standing mirror, and a small door that was ajar and led into a bathroom.
“Do you know how long it will take,” Laura asked, nodding her thanks for the room.
“I have an idea of which books I should check out, so that will help expedite things. Beyond that, I’m not sure. The problem is that we’re talking about finding a cure for a spell that was interrupted in the first place. But I am still certain that waking him up is a priority because the chances that the spell’s process having been speed up is very possible. Even if that is not the case, we should wake him up, because it seems to me that his current state would be permanent.”
“What you say makes sense, though I hope you’ll be able to find a way to wake him up. Otherwise, I’ll have to push on to Toledo and ask the leaders at the Wizard College for their help. Though, just so you are aware, I did send a letter to them before we left asking for their assistance as well.”
“I understand,” Mel said as he started to head towards his own room. “If you need anything, just pull on that cord next to your bed and one of our servants will be up here shortly.”
The door closed and Laura started to take off her armor and began to change out of her primary outfit and into her second set of clothes. There was something she was forgetting, Laura thought to herself as she rang the cord, summoning for a servant, while in the process of wrapping a clean breast-band around her chest.
As she finished wrapping it around, she knew what she was forgetting to consider. Quickly rushing through her door and opening the one to the wizard’s room without knocking. “While you are looking for a way to wake my friend up, could you also find a cure for this curse?”
Mel was startled while in the process of gingerly taking his shirt off of his right arm, wincing in pain as he did so. Laura could see a bruise that went across the right arm and a suspicion about this wizard crept into her mind since the bruise mark seemed to be where her shield had struck the dark wizard Vasquez back in Barbate. Could it be him? The question came to her as she continued to stare at the bruise. It couldn’t be, he is about my age. Vasquez would be in his forties at the very least, like my father. But she couldn’t shake the feeling.
“It is possible,” Mel said after regaining his composure and turning his back to her to grab a clean dark purple shirt. “However, I don’t think I have the right books for that kind of subject. While we have a large library in the house, very little of it regards magic since the majority of books found, that are about magic, tend to be turned in to the Wizard’s College.”
As Mel had talked, Laura had taken a look at his back where she noticed that Vasquez had been hurt in the fight with her father. But this man’s back was uninjured and she gave a mental sigh of relief though she was sad that he didn’t think the cure for this curse was in his library.
“I was hoping we could have caught two fish with one hook.”
“For now, we will go through it one step at a time,” Mel said, turning to Laura only to realize that her chest was only covered by a breast-band. Embarrassed, he quickly turned his back on her.
Laura was used to being in various stages of undress around men, it was hard for that not to happen when being the only woman in the army. It had taken time for her fellow soldiers to get used to it, just like it had taken her time to get used to it herself.
With a smile at the wizard’s unfomcortableness around her state of undress, she simply nodded and returned to her room, disappointed that things couldn’t have been so easy. Still, she had a plan and if there was no progress within 24 hours, she would then head on to the Wizard’s College.
There was a soft knock on the door and when Laura opened it, the manservant Sebastion was standing there. She asked if there was any way someone would be able to wash her clothes to which the manservant nodded, took the clothes, and left. As the door closed behind him, Laura started to clean and oil her armor and went through a series of stretches to calm her mind.
